‘Kyle, you are relieved of duty at this time. As to what the future will bring, that is to be decided. Perhaps a stint at one of the towers?’
‘Father!’ I try not to shriek, rage burning my throat. ‘It was all my idea, all my fault, you can’t?—’
‘Silence!’
I take in a shuddering breath. Kyle hasn’t moved. The blood dancer is wide-eyed in the corner of the room. Her wrist is still red where my mother fed, and my hand goes to my elbow, remembering the threading pain of the guard feeding from me. Two of the guards have moved closer. Shitshitshit.
‘The facts are this.’ My father turns his attention to Kyle. ‘You were supposed to be gone to Mistral by now, but for some reason,’ his gaze flicks to me, ‘you are still here. Then you took Emilia off the estate. I don’t care how much she begged you, or what she promised you. You have disobeyed my direct orders. You were employed—’ his voice rises ‘—to keep her safe. You answer to me, and to her mother, in that regard. Do you understand?’
Kyle nods. ‘Yes, my lord.’
He looks so beaten; my heart bleeds for him. I hold my breath, though I’m screaming inside. I can’t believe this is happening.
‘However—’ my father’s voice softens a touch ‘—there is the circumstance of you saving my wife, and several of our guards. Tell me, how was it you were able to warn them?’
I go cold. What the fuck?
‘I caught a glimpse,’ Kyle says, his voice monotone. ‘One of the humans, behind a silo. An error on their part, my lord. So I called out a warning.’
‘Lucky for you that you did,’ says my father. ‘It might save you from being sent back to the pits, at least.’
Kyle’s head comes up, his eyes wide. ‘I’m sorry, my lord. Truly. I do not wish, I mean, I can’t?—’
‘No! You can’t send him back there!’ The words tumble out, despite my father’s warning. I know I’m supposed to be Emelia Raven, daughter of a great house, expected to mate well and continue our line. But I’m human, and I love him.
My mother’s mouth twists. In one swift movement, my father is standing in front of me. He’s all ash and gold and granite, fury in his eyes.
‘I will not ask you to be quiet again. Do not make things worse.’
I can hardly breathe. Was it only an hour ago that he’d hugged me, that we’d laughed together on the steps? Tears spill down my face. I don’t wipe them away, a small act of defiance as my existence closes around me like a velvet shroud. I willneverforgive him.
‘Penelope, take her out of here.’
My father doesn’t look at me. Kyle does, though, his silver eyes holding mine as my mother takes my arm. Her grip firm, she leads me from the room, two guards falling into step behind us. I’m too shocked to cry out, my breath heaving in my chest as I stagger along the hallway, my mother’s pace unrelenting.
‘Mama, stop,’ I sob. ‘Please.’
My mother stops. She takes in a deep breath. ‘How could you?’
‘What?’
‘How could you?’ She turns on me, her hair flying, the shreds of her dress swirling. There’s a streak of red on her perfect cheek, more in her eyes. ‘Leaving us like that! What if something had happened? If we’d lost you, we wouldn’t have evenknownwhat happened to you. Our precious daughter, lost forever.’
‘What about all the others who’ve been “lost”?’ Hurt lances my chest; anger bubbles up, spewing out of me. ‘They’re all someone’s daughter, son, husband, wife. Not just casualties, not just food.’ I spit the last word.
‘Emelia—’
‘They’re people! No wonder they’re rebelling!’ Snot clogs my nose, my breath hitching. ‘Do you even know what their lives are like? I know you know what their deaths are like, though. I saw you, at the Moon Harvest. I saw what you did. What youare.’ I spit the words, gulping another sob, rubbing at my face with the back of my hand. ‘That’swhy I left. Because I don’t want to be Raven if that’s what it means!’ My mother’s hand goes slack, dropping from my arm.
‘Emelia. I-I’m sorry. I?—’
‘That’s what Father said earlier, when we were talking, he said that you’d made mistakes with me. But now you’re sending Kyle away and I’ll never get to see him again!’ The guards are standing to one side, studiously ignoring us. My mother’s mouth is a perfect ‘o’, her dark eyes brimming with red.
‘He has to do this.’
‘Who? Father?Youare Raven, not him!Youshould decide! Decide what’s best forme!’ I jab my chest with my hand. ‘Why does he have to be sent away?’
‘Because he disobeyed us and put you in danger! Whatever Kyle is to you, Emelia, he’s a Raven guard first and foremost. He’s lucky to escape death for what he did. Believe me when I tell you your father is being lenient, and that he is being so for both our sakes.’
